Startum Project

Startum Project

Why WIX is potentially bad for your business

I regularly come across people who have or are looking into a Wix website. My first reaction is to grimace, and that normally prompts the other person to giggle.

On the whole, Wix looks like a great platform, but once you start digging a little deeper, there are some important things that you should know that could impact your business.

Plugins are limited and no dashboard (admin page)

Unlike other CMS’ out there (WordPress, Drupal etc.), WiX doesn’t have a dashboard for controlling the site. It’s all widgets and windows. There’s no possibility of customising your site by means of plugins or features that are not supported by WiX. On the other side of the fence, WordPress has over 30,000+ plugins and unlimited themes, WiX only brags 200+ plugins and limited themes.

Content!

Did you know that WiX controls your content? They can distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publicly perform your content. Its all there in the WiX Terms of Use. In other words, WiX can modify your site and your sites content….ouch and eek!

SEO

WiX forces you to use their on-page SEO tools. Alright for the very basics, but there’s no way to boost your SEO by using a plugin such as WordPress SEO by Yoast etc. SEO is a lot easier when building a website in a CMS such as WordPress or Drupal mainly due to the additional plugins that are available.

eCommerce

In a nutshell, you need to pay to use eCommerce with WiX. Plugins that allow you to run a eCommerce site are not available for the free WiX versions. There aren’t many 3rd party apps to use for selling your products online, and those that are there will most probably have a monthly fee in order to use it. Payment Gateways? Stuck with WiX limited selection.

On the other side of the street, WordPress is free to use as an eCommerce site (bar your hosting costs). WordPress offers free plugins such as WooCommerce, dedicated eCommerce themes, a vast array of eCommerce plugins and add-ons.

Stuck in the middle with you

Yip, once you’ve signed up with WiX you are there to stay. There is no easy way to export your site on to a different platform should you choose to. So you’ll have to start from scratch. You may be saving a few bucks now, but you may ended up paying a hefty figure further down the line.

Sneaky advertising

If you’re trying to run a reputable business, the last thing you would want is for a potential client to be put off by the “built by WiX” advertising. Pretty much everyone knows that WiX is free or a cheap alternative, which begs the question, what does that say about your business ?

My conclusion, put in the money, build an amazing website and your online presence from the very beginning. Most CMS will have their limitations, but be aware of which ones will potentially harm your business in the long run.